


let me be your safe harbour

by helsinkibaby



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:30:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5901883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nate finds Kensi on the beach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	let me be your safe harbour

**Author's Note:**

> Theme: 5 senses  
> Prompt: any, any, watching the sun rise (or set) over water

"I thought I'd find you here."

At the sound of Nate's voice, a smiles comes to Kensi's lips, even as she pulls her sleeve down over her hand, raises it to her cheeks to wipe away her tears. She knows Nate notices - he's not blind - but he doesn't comment on it, just loosens his tie, undoes his top button and drops down onto the sand beside her. His suit jacket is already long gone and he leans back on his elbows, stretches his legs out in front of him and looks over at her. "Sorry I was late," he says, keeping his tone light, but Kensi knows him well enough to hear the question he's not asking her. 

"Sorry I didn't wait for you." They'd agreed to meet at the mission that evening, always assuming Kensi was ready to go when he got there - whatever about the meetings he had to attend, her case load didn't always lend itself to a regular schedule. "I just..." A lump rises in her throat, possibly pushed up there because of the clamp that suddenly settles around her chest, squeezing tightly and she can't speak all of a sudden. 

The tiniest of frowns appears on Nate's forehead and Kensi knows that if she were speaking to anyone else, there would be full blown fear on their faces right now - she's kept her panic attacks a closely guarded secret. But this is Nate and for all the times she's ordered him out of her head, for all the times she's told him not to profile her, today she's glad he's good at what he does. 

"Walls closing in on you?"

She nods, pulls both sleeves down over her hands, balls her hands into fists and presses them to her lips. He sits up, one of his hands going to her back, resting there gently, unmoving. It's the kind of touch usually seen in calming a skittish animal and Kensi knows that the analogy is an apt one. After one particularly bad post-Afghanistan nightmare where she'd almost broken his wrist before she realised who was touching her, they've both learned that it pays to be cautious. 

When she's certain that she's not going to do that again, more to the point, when he is, his hand begins to move, tracing wide circles on her back. Every so often, his fingers linger on the base of her neck, on the knotted, tension filled muscles there. She dips her head to grant him better access, closes her eyes at the welcome sensation of his hand on her skin. 

She's spending too much time remembering a different kind of touch: she intends to savour this one while she can. 

"When will it stop, Nate?"

She's barely aware that she's asked the question out loud, only realises it when his fingers still, when she hears him sigh. She opens her eyes then, looks over at him and sees the conflict on his face that he's usually so careful to hide. "I don't know, Kens." He's always been honest with her, which is one of the things she loves about him. "But I'm here... for anything you need."

She nods. "I know. I just... what if..."

"You will." He sounds confident, like he has no doubt that she's going to be fine. "We will." His hand slides to her shoulder, pulls her against him and she collapses against him willingly, settling herself in the welcoming circle of his arms as she stares out at the horizon, at the huge orange sun just beginning to sink beneath it. 

"Can we stay here for a while?" she asks because the beach has always been her refuge, her safe place, the place she goes to recharge her batteries. 

She smiles as she feels him brush a kiss across the top of her head. "For as long as you like."


End file.
